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Highlands Today

Best fishing of the month coming up

New moon creates good opportunities

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By DAVE DOUGLASS

Highlands Today

Published: May 20, 2009

With just five days before the arrival of the new moon on Sunday at 12:11 p.m., a mild storm takes on the counter-clockwise circular movement of a tropical storm with its "eye" centered over Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday.

The problem with this is that the eye of the storm doesn't have rain usually, and such was the case with this storm, therefore the one area of South Central Florida which needs rain the most didn't get much if any. Hopefully as you read this article the rain clouds are correcting this weather misfortune of the past two days.

Never the less, anglers should feel fortunate due to the timing of the weather in relation to the new moon. Today and tomorrow will not be ideal days to be out on the water because of high winds and a steadily rising barometer, however thing should settle down just in time for the best fishing days of the month which starts on Friday and ends next Tuesday.

Today and Thursday the best times to be out on the lake is from safe-light to 10 a.m. However due to the weather, all bets are off.

Friday through Saturday the best times to be on the water are from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. which has a peak time of 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

The early-morning anglers will enjoy the second best time to be on the water from 6 – 8 a.m. which doesn't really have a "peak time" so to speak, but rather a sporadic feeding along shoreline vegetations with is part of the end of the normal nighttime feeding pattern.
If the afternoon and evening anglers have any success at all it will be right at sunset for about an hour or two. Again, depending on the weather this period could really produce if conditions align perfectly — such as a storm moving into the area at 9 p.m. after a dry afternoon and evening which will promote fish to feed from 6-7:30 p.m. or maybe longer.

Fishing Facts
During the Florida Summer nighttime rain storms fish, especially the Largemouth Bass, move into areas of the lake which have influent streams and rivers to feed in the oxygen rich water source. Because of this fact, the early-morning anglers' best summertime chances are the mornings right after a good-night's rain, working these types of areas.

Fishing Formula
The secret to success during the summer months is to locate the highest oxygenated areas in the lake and learn the structures within that area. To accomplish this — assuming that you don't currently know where these areas are — move along shoreline areas quicker than usual, working bait you already know is successful, until you start getting strikes. It could takes some time — depending on the size of your favorite lake — but it's well worth it, for once you locate these areas you know two things; fish will be in them all year, in all seasons, and right now they are "only" here and not anywhere else.

Fishing Fiction
"Bass don't feed during the summer nights and early mornings because oxygen is too low." This is mostly true, however it is not true when there is nighttime rain and it's not true in areas of the lake where oxygen levels are highest as compared to the rest of the lake. If the nighttime or early morning angler knows where the highest oxygenated areas of the lake are, he'll catch fish and perhaps boat the best stringers of the day.

Fishing Flash
Lake Okeechobee's level is at 10.5 feet above sea level today and dropping steadily. As of yesterday minimal rain came to the aid of the "Big O" from the storms of the past few days. Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come for this upcoming rainy season — rain everywhere "but" on Florida's largest lake.

If the lake drops another four inches or more, the water level management schedule for Lake Istokpoga changes, allowing six inches more of water to be released "as needed" to the agricultural community between the two lakes.

Lake Istokpoga's level is at 37 feet 10 inches today which is five inches below the maximum level allowed and four inches above the minimum level allowed in the seasonal water management schedule. This "minimum level allowed" will drop to 37 feet above sea level when the pumps on Okeechobee run dry — "If the pumps run dry."

I have heard from many sources in the angling community around Lake Istokpoga that the lake will be dropped "a lot" so that the lake's canals can undergo the scheduled dredging work planned to start once "deposit sites" have been established. This "rumor" is "not true." If the lake's level is dropped prior to or during the dredging work, it is not because of the work but instead the regular seasonal water schedule releases for the agricultural water-permit users — as previously explained above

Your Lake Manager's Contact Information:
Clell Ford - Lakes Management Specialist - Highlands County, 4434 George Blvd, Sebring, Florida 33875. Phone: 863-402 6545, e-mail: Cford@hcbcc.org

Vicki Pontius Parks and Recreation Director - Highlands County, 4344 George Blvd. Sebring, Florida 33875. Phone: 863-402-6812, e-mail: VPONTIUS@hcbcc.org

Steven Gornak, Biological Scientist IV, Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Sub-Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, 3991 SE 27th Court, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Phone: 863-462-5190 (SunCom 761-5190), Fax: 863-462-5194 (SunCom 761-5194), Mobile: 863-697-6256, e-mail: steven.gornak@myfwc.com

Tournament News
The Monday Morning Lake Josephine Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public and launches every Monday morning at 8 a.m. with weigh-in at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per boat with a "winner-take-all" payout. One person or two per boat, three legal (more than 14 inches) bass per boat, and one bass over 22 inches per angler. For information, call Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell).

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next event is today - today at Lake Josephine. Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp - entry fee is $30 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell), e-mail bassbutchie60@aol.com or call Dwight Ameling at 863-471-3305.

Dave Douglass is a bass-fishing guide and Secretary of the Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition – FLFFC.org. He can be reached at 863-381-8474, HighlandsBassAngler.com, or e-mail him at davidpdouglass@hotmail.com.

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